1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to medical aids, and more particularly, to soft tissue for use in association with the modeling of the body of humans and other animals. Such soft tissue is often utilized in association with training and/or demonstration of surgical procedures and/or surgical products.
2. Background Art
Increasingly, anatomical reproductions and models are taking the place of cadavers for the training of medical professionals. The need to practice surgical techniques has become increasingly important in the rapidly changing medical field. Artificial models provide advantages relative to cost, storage, reliability and shelf life. Furthermore, anatomical reproductions are increasingly utilized for the display of medical products such as artificial hips, elbows, shoulders and knees. Such models allow a physician to examine the medical product and the interaction the medical device would have with a patient. While there are multiple advantages, there have been certain disadvantages associated with conventional models.
Among other disadvantageous, conventional soft tissue models lack realistic characteristics. With certain models, both hard tissue and soft tissue comprise identical materials. Thus, only the outward appearance in any manner simulates the anatomical component. In other models, soft tissue comprises a softer material (such as a foam). The material does not have characteristics that simulate the soft tissue that is being modeled. For example, certain materials are inelastic, whereas other materials are exceedingly elastic. In either case, the manipulation (i.e., scoring, cutting, moving, clamping, etc.) is by no means realistic.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide soft tissue which exhibits enhanced realism.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft tissue which can more closely mimic the tissue that is being modeled.
These and other objects will become apparent in light of the specification and claims appended hereto.